Four Riders of the Apocalypse
by Kamije Celeek
Summary: Twenty years in the future, Arthur's son, Mordred, has overtaken Britannia, burning much of it to the ground and killing off most of the population. Four children of heroes step forward to take up their parents' mantles of rule-breaking rescuers by chasing Mordred twenty years into the past and preventing the cataclysm that killed their families.
1. Four Riders

"Are you _insane_?!"

"I assure you, I am not."

"We've been told over and over again not to mess with time, and you want to break that rule?!"

" _He's_ already broken it. Besides, both Grandmother and Mother said that we can break that rule only in emergencies."

"Your mother had a baby specifically for revenge on two people she was annoyed by. I don't think she's the person to listen to in this situation!"

"No, there's _nobody_ for us to listen to. There's only the four of us left and we _need_ to fix things. Don't you want us all to be happy?"

"I… I still don't think this is a good idea…"

"I'm insisting that we bring along the other two."

"Of course you are." As if on cue, the two girls were joined by another girl and a boy.

"Are we ready?"

"Ready."

The girl who had proposed the time-travel extended her fingers.

"Goddesses, hear my prayer. We stand before you and request that you allow us to travel back and correct what must be corrected. Allow us to fix the future for the sake of those who survive here, and for the sake of those who have been taken."

" _Names?_ "

"Eris, Rider of the White Horse of Conquest." The boy took her place.

"Oliver, Rider of the Red Horse of War." One of the other girls stepped forward.

"Ivy, Rider of the Black Horse of Famine." The last girl made her way up front.

"Alexandra, Rider of the Pale Horse of Death."

A golden, swirling vortex appeared in front of the four. Eris nodded to her companions and they dove through, one by one. She herself was the last to go, turning to look at the smoldering ruins of what had once been Britannia, before sighing.

"We'll correct what went wrong, Mother, Grandmother. I promise. And to the spirits of those who have been forced from this world, that promise goes to you as well."

She stepped through and the portal vanished.

* * *

It was a normal day at The Boar Hat. Meliodas was busily preparing for the rush that would be sure to come once the workday drew to a close. His eyes landed on Elizabeth, who was humming while she cleaned tables. That familiar feeling of wanting to grab her washed over him, but it was compounded with his feelings of complete and total love and devotion. To avoid the awkwardness that was beginning to set in, he crouched behind the counter to organize the booze.

"This place is such a dump," he heard a male voice say. "I can't believe _this_ is where the Seven Deadly Sins spend their time."

" _I_ think it's quaint," a female voice replied. Meliodas popped his head up to see four travelers—three female, one male.

"Hiya!" he greeted the four, smiling. "You looking for something?"

"The Seven Deadly Sins," stated one of the girls. She had long, amber-colored hair and violet eyes. She reminded him of someone…

"Well, I'm Meliodas, the captain. And you are?"

"I'm Eris, and these are my companions." She gestured to the three with her. "Where are the others?"

"Ban is out somewhere, and King and Diane went for a walk. Merlin's in Camelot, no clue where Gowther is, and Escanor is picking up more drinks." His eyes landed on the smallest of the four—a girl with golden hair and blue-green eyes. She didn't seem to be much older than twelve. She was also staring at him with a look of… sadness? Mourning?

"Is something wrong?" Elizabeth inquired of the girl.

"N-no! Nothing!" the girl insisted.

"I'm Elizabeth. What's your name?"

"Alexandra, but everyone calls me Alex."

"How old are you?"

"Fifteen."

"Well, Alex, I can promise you that Meliodas will do everything he can to help you."

"That's good to hear." Alex's smile seemed pained. The last girl—who had reddish-brown hair and golden brown eyes—seemed uneasy.

"Eris, I'm going outside," she stated, rubbing the bracelet that was on her arm.

"Go ahead. Take Oliver with you." Eris waved her away. The girl went outside, pulling Oliver along.

"Who was that?" Meliodas asked Eris.

"Ivy. I guess you could say she's our second-in-command. Now, as for why we need you…"

* * *

Ivy let out a sigh as she leaned against The Boar Hat. Oliver rolled his eyes at her dramatic behavior.

"Honestly, Ives, you could've just said you needed some air."

"You _know_ I don't feel comfortable indoors."

"Yeah, well, I hate being around people in general. With you, it's because you're _huge_ without the damn bracelet."

"I feel more comfortable outside because I feel closer to my family. You know that."

"I feel closer to my mom outdoors. And on windy days."

"Do you think they're watching us from beyond?"

"I'm sure they are. You won't be able to talk to them at the Necropolis now. They're alive in this time period."

"I know… I still think it was a mistake to come back here."

"Yo, who the hell are you?"

The two looked up to see an all-too-familiar face. Oliver stiffened.

 _Ban the Undead._

"I'm Ivy, and this is my cousin, Oliver," Ivy told the thief. She shifted uncomfortably.

"Well, if you're here for food and drinks, the Captain will hook you up inside."

"Ives needed some air," Oliver spoke up.

"Guess I get it." His eyes landed on Ivy's bracelet. "Nice bracelet. Where'd you get it?"

"It was a gift from my friend Eris. She's inside with another friend of ours, Alex."

"Fantastic. Customers mean I have to cook." The Fox Sin headed inside and Ivy breathed a sigh of relief. Oliver smacked the back of his cousin's head.

"Could you be a bit more welcoming?"

"He's the only one of the Sins left in the future. And he ditched us to find a way to die! Why aren't you mad at him?!"

"I can't be. He wants to be with her. Do you blame him?"

"Yes, when the rest of our friends and family are all dead! We need an adult's guidance!"

"Ugh. You're no fun…"

The cousins glared at each other, remembering those they'd lost.

"Ivy! Ollie! There's food!" called Alex from the door. She had a brighter expression than she'd had for a long time.

"You're not going to turn down food, are you, Ives?" Ollie chuckled.

"Fine. Only because it's Ban's cooking and we haven't had it in ages."

They were about to head inside when they heard thunderous footsteps. Ivy looked up to see a familiar giantess with a familiar fairy-man flying around her shoulders. She stiffened, feeling a pain in her heart at seeing them alive again. Oliver vanished through the front door.

"Oh, hi!" Diane greeted her. "Welcome to The Boar Hat!"

"T-thank you," Ivy stammered. King tilted his head as he looked at her. "What's wrong?"

"You look familiar… do we know you?"

"I've never met the two of you before today. How could you know me?"

"Something about your face… it's really bugging me that I can't place it."

"Well, I'm sorry, but I've never met any of the Seven Deadly Sins before today."

"IVY!" Alex called. "Hurry before the pig eats everything!"

"I'd better go inside and eat. Alex is always worried about my appetite. You'd think _I_ was the youngest based on her actions! It was nice to meet you!"

Ivy ran inside and found food waiting. She dug in with the rest of her comrades, grateful to be tasting good food again.

 _In war, there's no time for luxuries like good food. You have to take what you can get._

"Thank you for the meal, Sir Meliodas, Sir Ban," Eris told the two Holy Knights. "We'd best be going now."

"Hold on. You said you needed our help, right?" Meliodas interrupted the teenager. "What do you need our help with?"

"We are from a kingdom far to the North. Everything was peaceful there until about a year ago. That's when a usurper killed the king and took control. He has an army of Holy Knights under his command, all willing to die at a moment's notice."

"Not to mention he's extremely powerful," added Ivy worriedly, her face falling. "My parents were two extremely powerful Holy Knights who stood against him, and he killed them both, along with my brother and sisters. He tortured and killed my mother and siblings before my father's eyes to break his spirit… make him easier to kill. My father gave his life to ensure I escaped, but I watched him die."

"Did he kill the rest of your parents as well?" Elizabeth asked, her voice full of sorrow and sympathy.

"My father," Eris confirmed. "And my adoptive mother. I don't give a damn about my birth one."

"My mother," Oliver mumbled.

"My parents and my brother," Alex whispered. "The only family the four of us have left is each other."

"You poor things!"

"What do you need _us_ for?" Ban groaned.

"Because he's set his sights on Liones and Camelot next," Eris replied, clenching her fists. "We can't let him succeed. He'll turn it into a wasteland."

"What is the name of this supposed usurper?" Merlin inquired.

"Mordred. He was the product of a woman's desire for revenge on her enemies, but she abandoned those plans once he was born in favor of being his mother."

"You seem to know this 'Mordred' rather well," Gowther commented. "Is there a connection besides what you've told us?"

"He's her brother," Oliver explained. Eris elbowed her companion hard in the ribs.

"That bastard is _not_ my brother. We may share a father, but that is the _only_ connection between us." Eris had a serious expression that was all too familiar to the Captain of the Seven Deadly Sins.

"So, are you four Holy Knights?" Escanor questioned timidly.

"We are. Until recently, we served our king as his personal guards." Ban let out another snort, as if he doubted four kids under the age of eighteen could be in such high positions as Holy Knights.

"They have very high power levels," Merlin interjected. "I daresay they match ours. I can't wait to see what they can do."

"Then that settles it. They'll be coming with us!" Meliodas declared. "This calls for a celebration!"

* * *

Later that night, as Diane slept outside the tavern, the four visitors slipped past the giant and into the woods, where they could talk without being overheard. Alex leaned against a tree and sank to the ground, tears in her eyes.

"Mama and Papa… it's good to see them again."

"Same here," sighed Ivy, patting her friend on the back. "I wish I could see Rose and Dolores and Helbram again, though…"

"My father was supposed to be good friends with the Sins," Eris grumbled. "Cath said so. Lying little beast."

"Isn't your father the king of Camelot?" Oliver pointed out. "He's got a kingdom to rule. He can't spend his time hanging out at a tavern in another land."

"I wanted to see him again."

"Hey, how do you think _I_ feel? My mother hasn't been brought back yet and my dad's an ass!"

"And it seems like Mama and Papa are still under their curses," Alex mused, taking a stick and doodling in the dirt. "Papa seems more disconnected, and Mama is… clueless."

"They won't break the curses for another year or so," Ivy assured the youngest. "But it'll happen, and then you'll be born a few years later. We all will."

"Can you believe this is only twenty years in the past?" Eris sighed. "It's so much more lively and colorful."

"And our lives will be, too, once we succeed," Alex told Eris. "Mordred will be stopped. He won't be able to hurt us or our families again."

* * *

 **Trying something out. Let me know if you like it.**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	2. Working in the Tavern

To the North of Britannia, an army was rising.

Led by a young man with dark hair and eyes that were swallowed by dark power, these Holy Knights had been brought from twenty years in the future to raze the continent to the ground. Even now, he was gaining more followers with each passing day, promising them a future where they'd be more powerful than even the Demon Clan that had fallen shortly before. This young man was Mordred, and he was confident that he would attain total victory over Britannia.

Then he felt a wave of magic—the same magic that had sent him back.

 _My dear sister followed me. I bet the rest of the Four Riders followed her, too._

"Sir, what was that?" asked Nicolas, a Holy Knight who had once been charged with protecting Princess Alexandra.

"That, I believe, was my traitorous sister's magic. She's followed us to the past, intent on stopping us."

"That bitch killed the princess." Nicolas gripped his sword. "I won't rest until I avenge her death. And the deaths of her father and mother."

"Good. I'm certain Lady Elizabeth and Sir Meliodas would've wanted it—their daughter's protector killing her murderer."

Nicolas bowed his head.

"Tell me, Nicolas, why do you choose to follow me?"

"I follow you because there is no-one else I trust. My princess is dead, Eris is her murderer, and Lady Ivy and Sir Oliver disappeared alongside their families. I will fight for you until the bitter end."

"Oh, good." Mordred smiled, then looked in the direction in which he'd sensed his sister's power.

 _Do you hear that, dear sister? They'd rather follow me and die than follow you._

 _Tell me… how_ **did** _you save Alexandra from that spell?_

 _I suppose it doesn't matter._

"Prepare to begin our march to Liones," he instructed Nicolas. "We will bring it down and remake Britannia into one kingdom, with me as ruler and all of you as my loyal, strong army."

"Yes, Sir Mordred."

Mordred looked up at the sky.

 _Mother… your plans are coming to fruition. Aren't you proud of me?_

* * *

"All right, here we go!"

Alex shrieked and clung to Oliver as Mama Hawk lurched upwards. The boy blushed as it happened and Ivy shot him a smirk. Eris was watching her three closest friends with a smile that could only come from knowing someone since you were very young. In fact, Eris was the eldest of the Four Riders; she was seventeen. Ivy and Oliver were both sixteen. Alexandra was the youngest, at only fifteen.

Looking at the Four Riders, you'd never guess that only two of them had some semblance of human blood, and even then, Oliver's was stained by the water from the Fountain of Youth. He'd inherited his father's incredible healing abilities as a result, though he wasn't immortal like Ban. Eris was a full-blooded human; the others were half one thing and half another.

"You and your friends are quite interesting," Merlin commented to Eris. "I sense that you're not quite telling us the whole truth as to your identities, but I also sense there's a reason to it."

"You're right," Eris sighed. "It's for safety reasons. Our safety."

Gowther was now watching Ivy, his gaze as emotionless as ever.

 _You've suffered more than the others. You've lost more than they have._

 _Defeating Mordred won't bring back your family, but it may provide you closure._

"Where do you think Mordred will strike first?" King inquired of Ivy.

"I think he'll go for Liones, since it's closer to his base of operations."

"That's what I'd do," Ban called.

"You said that you and Mordred share a father," Gowther stated matter-of-factly to Eris. "However, the two of you were raised side-by-side, correct?"

"His mother and our father raised me. That's all you need to know."

Gowther nodded; he was beginning to understand that some things needed to be kept hidden. Especially when it came to family and difficult subjects to broach. He was going to respect Eris's wishes and not reveal the truth about her identity.

 _The daughter of Arthur and his recent bride, Guinevere—come from twenty years in the future to stop a cataclysmic event._

His eyes landed on Ivy once again, and he silently began to scan her memories, finding the one he'd sensed earlier. The reason Ivy suffered more than the others.

 _Your parents and siblings died at Mordred's hand._

 _He showed you nothing but kindness beforehand._

 _You loved him._

* * *

"Do you want us to help out around here?"

Meliodas glanced at Alex, who had righted herself and dusted off her knee-length skirt.

"What do you mean, 'help out'?"

"I mean, you're letting us stay here, so the least we could do is work for you. Ivy's an amazing cook, not to mention I worked in a tavern for six months once as a waitress. And Oliver and Eris can learn, I'm sure!"

If it had been normal circumstances, Meliodas would've told Alex 'no' in a heartbeat. The tavern had two waitresses, plus Ban as a cook. They didn't need more employees. But… the Dragon Sin looked into her eyes and his heart leapt into his throat. There was an earnest light of innocence there that was rare to find, and their emerald hue was familiar.

He couldn't say no to the Pale Rider of Death.

"Fine. But you'll have to wear the uniform, and so will the others."

"That's okay with me." Meliodas headed into the back and came back with four uniforms, which he handed to the Four Riders. They headed into the back to put on their uniforms. Eris, Oliver, and Ivy came out wearing their new clothes, but Alex was nowhere to be seen.

"Alex, you okay in there?" called Meliodas.

"Um… the uniform is a little… loose."

"A little loose?"

Ordinarily, Meliodas would've gone into the changing room to see what the problem was (and maybe sneak in a grope in the process), but for some reason, it felt… wrong. Like Alex was different from most of the other females he knew somehow. He sighed and turned to Ivy.

"Could you see what's wrong?"

"Yeah, sure." Ivy headed into the changing room and re-emerged a few moments later. "Alex is a little shy. The skirt is too short for her to be comfortable in."

"She can wear a longer one, then."

For some reason, Alex having such modesty was relieving to the demon.

"Uh, you feeling okay, Captain?" Ban asked.

"I feel fine. Why?"

"You're not acting right."

"Yeah!" Hawk agreed. "Why aren't you being a pervert?!"

"Well, first of all, Alex is only fifteen. Second of all, it doesn't feel right to act like that towards her." Elizabeth smiled.

 _He's learning._

"How's this?" Alex came out in the same uniform as the other female employees, except with a longer skirt that went down to her knees. The longer skirt actually made the outfit cuter, somehow, especially with Alex's more childlike appearance.

"It looks great!" Meliodas gave her a thumbs-up.

"Yeah, fantastic, Alex!" agreed Oliver. "Better than the one they tried to make you wear on assignment."

"On assignment?" King asked, confused.

"She was going to go undercover as a barmaid for a couple months to gather information," explained Ivy, curling a lock of hair around her fingers absentmindedly. "But when she saw the uniform, she started crying and her dad gave the mission to another group entirely. He said his precious little girl shouldn't be forced to wear something like that. He used to run a tavern where Alex's mom worked as a waitress for a while."

"It was a crop-top with a mini-skirt and thigh-high stockings," Oliver added. "Making a woman wear that as a uniform is just _sick_."

Meliodas blinked awkwardly as Hawk smirked at him.

* * *

The tavern was bustling with business, as it usually did at night. This time, however, with Alex and Eris helping Diane and Elizabeth out as waitresses and Ivy cooking with Ban in the back, things were going more smoothly. Meliodas watched from the corner, sipping ale from a mug. However, his eyes were only on Alex for now, and he felt enraged whenever he saw some drunken customer make a pass at the fifteen-year-old. It was all he could do to keep his demon side tempered down.

That protectiveness felt so similar to what he felt towards Elizabeth, but there was something more innocent to what he felt towards Alex. It was the kind of feeling that made him want to smack any guy who made a pass at her—not because he wanted her for himself, but because she was so young and innocent.

 _Elizabeth was technically only sixteen when you met her—a year older than Alex is now._

"So, where you from, little lady?" one drunk man asked her.

"I'm from a kingdom to the North."

"The North…?"

"How did you escape?" another man asked.

"There's an army of Holy Knights up there, and they slaughter all who oppose them," the first man stated.

"They came out of nowhere, and rumors say their leader is a man with eyes darker than demon's blood."

"I've been in Liones for three months," she stated. "My friends and I have been traveling together to see as much as we can. That means now there's no home to go back to…"

"I'll take it from here," Diane offered, letting the younger girl go off on her own.

Meliodas narrowed his eyes.

 _Something about her isn't right…_

The next morning, the Four Riders and the Seven Deadly Sins were in for a rude awakening as an explosion shook the land around the tavern.

* * *

 **Next chapter: Sins and Riders VS Mordred's Knights!**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	3. First Blood

_"Take the kids and run!"_

 _"I'm not leaving you!"_

 _"You have to! If all of you are alive, I have something to come back to, something to fight for."_

 _"No! We fight together!"_

 _"Oh, how sweet. The odd couple wants to fight back."_

 _"Diane, run, now!"_

 _"Mordred, don't do this!"_

 _"I have to, Ivy. Don't worry; I'll be sure to make you my queen!"_

 _"NO!"_

 _There was a boom—_

"NO!"

Ivy sat bolt upright in bed, panting.

 _That nightmare again…_

An explosion sounded again, this time outside The Boar Hat. Ivy stood up and looked out the window, her heart pounding in fear. She could see soldiers outside, bearing the banner of Mordred as they set off charges of magic that were obviously meant to draw the inhabitants of the tavern out.

"We're under attack!" squeaked Alex, digging under the bed for her bag.

"Save it. None of them are Holy Knights," Eris sighed. "They're foot soldiers."

"So I don't have to use my sword?"

"No, actually, it'll be better if you remain inside. We don't need your powers going haywire because you start panicking."

"That's fair." Alex shrugged and hid in the closet. Her two female friends ran outside, along with the Sins and Oliver.

"There!" the leader of the attackers yelled, pointing at Eris and Ivy. "Sir Mordred wants them brought to him alive!"

"Like _hell_ he does!" snapped Eris.

"Aw, man," muttered Ban. "Am I gonna have to pull my punches?"

Ivy noticed something about these foot soldiers. All of them had black eyes—not the kind from getting punched in the face, but their irises had turned the reddish-black of demons. That was when she knew what they were. She instinctively reached for her bracelet.

"Ivy, what's wrong?" Diane asked.

"They've drank demon's blood," the girl whispered.

"Are you _serious_?!" King gasped.

"We can take 'em," Ban assured her.

"No, these guys aren't like the New Generation that was in Liones. They were given demon's blood to make them a stronger fighting force, not to experiment. They were made well aware of the risks beforehand and took the blood to remake Britannia in Mordred's vision."

"How the hell do you know that?"

"Because Mordred started raising that army shortly before he started the coup."

"My brother's always been an ass," Eris pointed out, preparing a spell.

Ivy was the first to make a move. She seemed to fly through the air as she brought down a heavy kick on one man's ribs, making him cough blood. Underneath her tall boots, her feet had turned to metal to allow her more damage to the soldiers. The man smirked and grabbed her by the ankle, swinging her around and throwing her into Oliver. Oliver caught his cousin with ease.

"Jeez, you're heavy," he grunted, earning a punch to the face.

The others began to rush the small army outside the bar, none of them pulling their punches against these enemies. It appeared that despite the demons' blood they'd drank, the army was no match for the Sins or the Riders.

Within minutes, they retreated.

* * *

Far to the North, Mordred watched the retreat through a crystal.

"Excellent," he stated. "We now know that the Four Riders are here."

"Those Sins won't go down easily," warned a voice behind him. He turned at the sound of something hitting the ground to see a girl with dusky-brown hair. Her eyes were blue, but they were glazed over and milky, unable to see. In her hand were marbles, which she dropped onto the ground in front of her to make sure there was nothing in her path.

"What about the Four Riders?" he inquired of her.

"As long as you don't allow your feelings to cloud your judgement, we'll defeat them without any issue."

"My… feelings?"

"I know you're in love with the daughter of Sloth and Envy. Ignore that."

"Ignore Ivy? Never."

"She'll never be the queen of Britannia, no matter how you try to persuade her. Forget your love for her and remember that she is your _enemy_ now."

Mordred gripped his sword and whirled around, prepared to drive the blade into her. Suddenly, his mind filled with her voice.

 _"You know better, Mordred. I can stop you in an instant when you get emotional like this."_

"You damn bitch… why do I work with you?" He set down his sword and she left his mind alone.

"You work with me because you don't have friends any longer. The Four Riders hate you for what you did to their families, and Rose is dead. I am the only one who still stands by your side. Now, come. We have to prepare for when they eventually make their way here."

Mordred nodded silently, following the blind girl.

 _Ivy… I can't let go just yet._

 _I want to make you queen of more than two clans…_

* * *

The tavern bustled with activity. Ivy was working in the kitchen with Ban, pleased to be learning more about the kitchen from the hands of a master. It really took her mind off the fact that she and her three closest friends were going to face an immensely powerful foe who had killed her entire family.

…okay, so maybe not _that_ much, but still!

"So, does this Mordred guy have any powerful generals?" Ban asked her.

"He has one. She's even more terrifying and powerful than he is, if that's possible."

"Why isn't she the leader?"

"She's blind. Her abilities to lead are hindered by it."

"Let me get this straight: the most powerful, terrifying person in Mordred's army is a blind girl?"

Before Ivy could explain further, more orders came in. Ban was curious to know more about the blind girl, but he wasn't able to ask more until the next day. The Boar Hat was in the process of moving to its next location and Eris was discussing something with her three friends in a hushed tone.

"Hey, Ivy," Ban said, pulling up a chair. "You said you'd tell me about the blind chick some more."

"You told him about Mercy?" Oliver gaped at his cousin in horror.

"Not everything."

"Who's Mercy?" Elizabeth asked, tilting her head.

"She's Mordred's top general," Eris explained, glancing at the princess. "Her power is an advanced form of Gowther's Invasion ability. It's advanced because she can enter and control the minds of whoever she wants, not just affect memories and cause illusions."

"I've seen her make people's heads explode with that power," Alexandra added, shuddering. "It's how she killed her father. And my brother."

"She sounds like a challenge," Merlin mused, tapping her chin.

"She is. None of us were able to beat her when we were training, and I doubt we can beat her now that we're older."

"She, Mordred, and Ivy's twin sister were on the same team as the four of you, correct?" Gowther inquired.

"Yeah." Alexandra nodded. "Back then, the seven of us were friends, but then Mordred killed the king and started a war."

"Mercy joined him immediately," Oliver sighed. "She had a crush on him and completely ignored the fact that he was obsessed with Ives."

Ivy smacked her cousin on the back of the head.

"He was _not_ obsessed with me!"

"Then why'd he keep saying he'd make you queen of all of Britannia once this was over?"

"Because he wanted me on his side! He's human, and most humans will lie, cheat, kill, and steal to reach their goals! There are very few exceptions to that and Mordred is _not_ one of them!"

Her sudden outburst shocked the others.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." Ivy sat back down and sighed.

"Mercy sounds like she won't be easy to defeat," Meliodas mused, tapping his chin. "If anything, she'll sense us coming and get into our heads before we can even try to attack."

"The thing about Mercy is that she's not very effective against a large force," Eris explained. "She can only enter a few minds at a time—usually the most powerful people she's battling against. But she's also limited by her lack of sight."

"I understand," Gowther deadpanned. "Mercy has physical limitations that she makes up for using her powers. But… even with her power levels being high, getting around must be difficult. Ah!" He snapped his fingers. "Marbles!"

"…marbles?" Ban repeated, confused.

"She carries marbles with her that she drops on the ground to look for hazards. Certainly more effective than entering the mind of a person to act as her eyes, and not as draining on her magic."

"Exactly," Eris agreed. "I made the marbles for her—back when we were friends—and they've got a spell that makes them always return to her even if they're lost."

"A clever spell," commented Merlin, smiling in approval. "You seem to be quite capable for someone so young."

"My adoptive mother and grandmother were both powerful mages in their own rights. And they taught me everything I knew until they were killed by Mordred."

"Shame. I would've loved to meet them."

Alex bit her lip and looked out the window. A small orb floated out there and flew up and out of sight as soon as she a good look at it. She felt a chill go up her spine and hoped that the orb didn't mean for them what she thought it meant…

But it was unlikely.


	4. Emotions

**I'M BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!**

 **Not much today but it's something. And more character development with Mercy and Mordred.**

 **Also, on a good note, one reader named essaysforbreakfast has reached out and told me that they are writing a story inspired by this one. They asked if they could have my permission to post it and my response was HELL YEAH, you can! I'm glad that I inspired them, so keep an eye out for their story!**

 **On with this one!**

* * *

Mercy was not one to be trifled with.

That was a lesson she'd taught to friend and foe alike. Despite her lack of sight, she was powerful and cunning and ruthless. Her magical abilities, while not that of a full-blown mage like Eris, were larger and more potent than that of her adoptive father Gowther. In fact, he was the one who had taught her Invasion, showing nothing but pride as she expanded that power into something that could be used to control others entirely rather than simply causing nightmares or illusions or rewriting cognition.

She'd never forget the smile on his face as she caused his head to explode.

Now she was in the past, back to before any of them had been born. In command of an army willing to die for her and Mordred's cause. And she had Mordred to herself for once, without Ivy to interfere and catch his eye like she had since they were children. That was the best part of being there in the past—just her and Mordred as a team, no longer a part of the blasted Seven Virtues. She was no longer the Virtue of Purity like she had been. And he was no longer the Virtue of Humility. No, instead, they were a pair who could and would take over the world together.

Mercy smiled as she took control of a nearby soldier and was able to see through his eyes the vast wasteland that was once a kingdom but now was the headquarters of the army she and Mordred were going to bring down on Britannia. Her dark heart took pleasure in the idea of watching it all burn a second time through the eyes of a soldier or better yet, the eyes of Ivy as she bled out and died on the battlefield in front of her friends and family. Nothing would give her more pleasure than to be the one to bring down her longtime rival for Mordred's affection.

Speaking of the love of her life…

"Good morning, Your Majesty," she greeted him as his footsteps approached her. "How did the spying go last night?"

"The Four Horsemen are holed up at the Boar Hat Tavern with the Seven Deadly Sins. Our soldiers retreated from combat with the whole group but maintained that they saw Eris, Oliver, and Ivy. And since they're there, we know Alexandra is as well."

"Just remember: her status must be kept secret. Otherwise, we may lose power over these soldiers. Many of them are only doing this in her name."

"I remember."

Mercy giggled.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing! Really, nothing!"

She couldn't help but note that all of their soldiers were humans or humans who had drank demons' blood. No giants or fairies had joined their ranks due to the fact that she, through Mordred, had murdered the previous Fairy King and Giant Queen. And three of the four heirs to those positions. Ivy was the only remaining being who could take the thrones of those two races and Mercy didn't intend to let her take that position. Or live for much longer in such a way that she could threaten Mercy and Mordred's relationship.

No, Mercy was going to kill her love's former flame herself.

In fact… that might be a perfect way to lure the Sins to them…

* * *

Ivy stared out the window of the Boar Hat as Hawk's Mom moved along the ground. They were somewhere near the Fairy King's Forest, which was looking like she remembered from her childhood. Lush, beautiful, and full of life. In her time, the Forest had been burned to the ground by Mercy and a faction of demons'-blood-enhanced soldiers and a large majority of the fairy population had been slaughtered. The same had happened to giants who resisted Mercy and Mordred's army.

"Hey, you okay?" Eris asked, sitting down next to her friend. She was speaking quietly so they wouldn't be overheard.

"The Forest looks just like it did when I was a kid. I have so many good memories there with Mom and Dad and my brother and sisters…" Tears were forming in Ivy's eyes and she wiped them away quickly.

"Don't forget why we're here: we're going to stop Mordred from doing the same to the past and keeping us from existing so we can make those memories. And maybe we can fix things here so that he doesn't kill them."

"Right…"

Eris sighed.

"I know that you and Mordred were really close before this whole thing started. It royally sucks that your friendship had to go down like it did."

"It was just so out of nowhere. He was always talking about taking the throne from your dad, but I didn't expect him to actually kill him… or my family."

"Hey, we're supposed to be heading north, right?" Ban called, getting the attention of the two girls.

"Yes, sir!" replied Eris, standing up. "That's where Mordred's waiting. It's our best chance of finding him."

"We're heading that way," Meliodas announced. "Just make sure you keep giving us directions."

"You got it!"

Suddenly, Alex stood up, her eyes wide, and she ran to the window. Everyone stared at her in confusion… except her three friends. She narrowed her eyes.

"We're being watched," she stated.

"We are?" asked Elizabeth, worried.

"I can sense it. Trust me."

The intensity of her gaze made the others sure that she was telling the truth, so they simply shrugged and King asked Diane to keep watch for anything suspicious.

Night fell and they had to set up camp. Ivy was busily getting firewood while her friends either hunted or found necessary items for the night. As a result she was alone. Completely alone. And she didn't hear the footsteps approaching. No, instead, she felt the darkness and whirled around with an iron handed punch. Her hand was caught by none other than Mordred himself, who looked at her with sadness and pity in his purple eyes. Eyes that were like she remembered—bright and shining, not dark and inky depths.

"What the hell are you..?!" she spat before he covered her mouth.

"Ivy. Don't come north. Please."

"I have to. Otherwise, you and Mercy will—"

"No. Eris, Alexandra, and Oliver have to. The Sins have to. But I need you to stay in Britannia."

"Why?"

"Because… Ivy, you'll die."

He bit his lip.

"I know you hate me because of what I did. But you need to believe me when I say it's more dangerous for you to come face us than it is for anyone else."

"Care to tell me _why_?"

"Because Mercy wants you dead."

Ivy froze.

"It's my fault. It's all my f-fault…" He sat down, bowing his head. "Ivy, I want to take this all back. But I can't. And if you continue north, I'm going to lose you and I can't handle that… I might…"

"We're going to stop you and Mercy. And maybe we can fix everything. But I'm not going to stay behind while the rest of my friends go off to battle. You know that."

"I… I know I can't stop you. I don't think I could if I tried. Be careful, please. I'm going to try and stop Mercy so I don't hurt anyone else. See you soon."

Mordred quickly stood up and grabbed Ivy by the wrist, pulling her towards him in one quick move and capturing her lips in a swift kiss. Then, just as smoothly, he was gone. She was frozen with shock but shook her head, returning to her task of gathering firewood.

 _Why can't I stop caring about you…?_

She was so focused on her own thoughts that she didn't hear it.

 _Plink._

 _Plink._

 _Plink._

"Ivy. Conferring with my future husband?"

Ivy whirled around to see Mercy standing there with two soldiers and her bag of marbles.

"Mercy!"

"You know he's mine. And you kissed him anyway. How dare you?"

"Listen, you need to get out of here if you don't want to end up hurt. He was trying to warn me to not go north."

"Liar." Mercy's clouded eyes glowed and one of the soldiers put up his sword.

"You will not seduce our general, half-breed!" he barked.

"Nicolas?!"

"I don't care if you were royalty! You are allied with the bitch who killed the princess!"

"What are you even talking about?!"

 _"DIE!"_

He rushed forward and Ivy turned her arm to steel, blocking his blade effortlessly. Nicolas grit his teeth and pressed harder as the sword began to scratch the surface of Ivy's shell. Panic took hold of her as she kicked him in the gut, sending him backward.

"Good luck, boys," Mercy stated. "I must return to my future fiancé."

She vanished, leaving the two Holy Knights to face the half-giant half-fairy. And they were both powerful; demon's blood had made them more able both physically and magically. Ivy knew she was holding herself back with the bracelet. It kept her size down, but she had a few tricks that nobody really knew about because her strength was usually enough in battle. But before she could use one, Nicolas threw a powder onto her. It clouded her vision, making her cough as dust swam in her eyes and she struggled to stay upright.

 _Shit! I need to focus!_

Suddenly, she was pinned by the two, who raised their blades to deal a crushing blow to her. Ivy couldn't think. She couldn't figure out how to escape. Then something threw the two off her and stood before her protectively. A green bear, made of moss, was in a fighting stance and ready to keep her safe.

 _Chastiefol!_

"You two should _really_ not be picking on a little girl," King commented, floating over. Ivy could sense the anger coming off him in waves. "Especially one traveling with the Seven Deadly Sins."

"Sir King?!" gasped Nicolas, bowing. "I-I apologize!"

"As do I!" added Sir Thomas, another Holy Knight Ivy recognized from the court of Liones. "But this girl is a criminal. We will withdraw for now, but we will be back to bring her to justice!"

* * *

King watched the two Holy Knights disappear before turning his attention back to Ivy. She stared at the ground as she sat up, refusing to look at him as he landed beside her.

"Ivy, are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine." She started to cough again.

"That powder's still on you. Let's get you back to the Boar Hat."

The girl nodded, staggering to her feet after taking his hand. Her knees buckled under her and she fell forward, King very narrowly catching her before she hit the ground.

 _What the hell is that stuff?_

"Hey, stay with me!" he begged. "Come on, Ivy!"

"…staying here…" she mumbled, half-conscious.

 _Dammit!_

"King? What's going on?" Diane asked as she approached.

"Ivy's hurt!" he called.

"What?!" Rapid thuds hit the ground and Diane entered the clearing. "What happened?"

"Two Holy Knights were attacking her. It wasn't a fair fight. They hit her with some kind of powder that I think was poison."

"Give her to me!" Diane picked up the girl and held her. "I think you're right. Let's get her back to the others!"

"…Mom…?" whispered Ivy. "…alive? …thought you were gone…"

"Ivy, stay awake, please."

"…where's Rose? And Dolores and Helbram?"

Those last two names made the fairy-tale odd couple freeze in shock. How could Ivy know them? And who was Rose?

That would have to wait. For now, they needed to get her help. Whatever she'd been hit with was bad, even if it was just a sedative. They began to head for the Boar Hat as rapidly as they could. Neither of them could explain their protectiveness over a girl they'd known for a couple days. It wasn't like with Elizabeth, where they wanted to keep her safe because of her status. It was almost like… they'd known her her whole life. And that was impossible, right?

 _Right?!_

* * *

 **Ooh what**

 **INSTINCTS AND YANDERE MERCY**

 **Yeah. Here we go with the nonsense and timey-wimey bullshit.**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	5. Poison

The second they got back to the Boar Hat, Alexandra ran out of the tavern.

"Ivy!" she yelled. The others whirled around to see Diane crouch and hold out the unconscious girl.

"Shit!" yelped Oliver. "Ives! What the hell happened?"

"These two Holy Knights ganged up on her and threw some kind of powder," King explained. "They ran off when I showed up. It was weird; they called me Sir King and apologized before they disappeared."

"Let me see her!" Eris called, pushing her way past Ban and Meliodas as Diane laid Ivy on the ground.

"I wonder why they attacked," Elizabeth mused. "I mean, Ivy wasn't doing anything wrong…"

"This is bad," Eris sighed, pinching some of the powder. "It's one of Mother's creations."

"Mother?" repeated Ban, confused.

"My adoptive mother. She was a sorceress and for many years she tried to destroy my father until she decided that it wasn't worth her time. This powder is a poison she made back then. Harmless when it touches the skin, but if it gets into a wound or a person's lungs…"

"How fast does it act?" Merlin inquired.

"She's in the third stage. First, it impairs vision and breathing. Second stage is loss of magical and physical abilities. And the third stage is a coma-like state like this. The fourth stage is waking nightmares, where she'll appear to wake up and walk around but she's still in the coma, just experiencing horrible visions none of us can see. When she goes down again, it'll be stage five: death."

"Your mother was one piece of work," Ban groaned.

"She's better than my birth mother, who abandoned me. Bitch."

"We need to get her somewhere secluded to heal her," Oliver pointed out.

"Right. Ollie, you carry her. I'll go get the necessary supplies."

"Let me help!" Elizabeth insisted.

"Sorry, Your Highness," replied Eris. "I can't let you do that. This is a delicate spell and the more people we have around, the more likely it is that it'll fail."

Elizabeth gulped and stepped back, allowing Eris to run into the bar and return with a bag. Oliver picked up his cousin, carrying her as Alexandra followed. She'd insisted on going along, which Eris relented on because she claimed that Alexandra knew the spell and could pick it up.

The three brought the unconscious Ivy to a secluded area, large and open with plenty of space. Oliver set the girl down and promptly had his eyes blindfolded by Eris.

Unbeknownst to them, however, Meliodas had followed. He was well hidden in some bushes and kept his gaze on the four, confused by the blindfold.

"Okay, ready," Alexandra stated.

"Just a moment. She's going to be pissed if we don't do this right." Eris reached into her bag and pulled out… a set of Ivy's clothes?

 _What the hell?_

Before the Dragon Sin's eyes, the clothes grew until they were just a little smaller than Diane's. Alexandra knelt by Ivy and gripped her friend's bracelet, pulling it off with ease and quickly backing away as Ivy suddenly began to grow. When she stopped growing, Meliodas could tell (with his perverted eye, but somehow he took no pleasure in it this time) that she was smaller than Diane but significantly larger than any human. Within seconds, Ivy's golden-brown eyes fluttered open and she coughed.

"Ivy!" sighed Alexandra in relief.

"Am I back to my regular size?"

"Yeah. You got hit with one of Lady Morgan's poisons. Or at least, a version of one."

"Damn. You have clothes for me?"

"Of course," replied Eris, flicking the garments over to Ivy. Meliodas respectfully covered his eyes.

"Can I take off my blindfold yet?" he heard Oliver ask. "I mean, not like I _want_ to see my cousin naked, but it's really uncomfortable."

"Yes, dumbass. You can take off the freaking blindfold."

Meliodas uncovered his eyes and saw that Ivy had gotten to her feet. And as he'd assessed, she was smaller than Diane. A head shorter, to be precise, but unmistakably a giantess. This raised several questions, including why her bracelet worked for such long periods of time when _Merlin_ was unable to keep Diane small that long and why they hid her size from the others. Part of him wanted to ask why, but something told him he might not like the answer. Besides, they were talking again.

"Who did this?" Eris asked.

"It was Nicolas. He's part of Mordred and Mercy's army now. And he thinks I'm allied with Alexandra's killer. Which also clears up why he joined; he thinks you're dead, Alex."

"I might as well be, for as much good as I was able to do for the kingdoms."

"Hey, you're our healer," Oliver said, patting the girl on the head. "That's more than the rest of us can say."

"And I never need to heal you."

"Thanks to Dad." The lone boy narrowed his eyes. "So, they know we're coming."

"I ran into both Mordred and Mercy. Mercy's the one who sicced the Holy Knights on me. And Mordred… he warned me that Mercy wants to kill me. He doesn't want me going north."

"Of course he doesn't. He's had a thing for you since we were kids."

"He hasn't. Now, what are we going to do?"

"Mother's poison takes a day to clear out of your system," sighed Eris. "So we'll have to hide you from the Sins until it's gone. Your size is a dead giveaway at the moment."

 _'Dead giveaway'?_

"Ugh, I know. This sucks. Everything here is so different than back home."

"Hey, you guys okay?" Meliodas called, coming out of the bushes. "I got worried, so I followed you."

"I told you the spell was delicate!" snapped Eris.

"And the fact that the only people who went along with you were the Four Riders kinda made me a little worried. Like you were plotting against us."

"We're not," Alexandra insisted. "I swear. It's just… it's easier to travel when Ivy's small because people don't like giants too much."

"I get it. But you don't have to hide. In fact, I bet Diane would love some company outside when you're both this big. Let's head back and get moving."

* * *

"YOU'RE A GIANT?!"

The yells of the Sins (plus Hawk and Elizabeth) caught the Four Riders off-guard.

"Yeah, I am. It's just easier to travel when I'm small. Hence my bracelet. It keeps me human-sized as long as I wear it."

"Good to know," Merlin stated, taking the bracelet from Alexandra. "If you don't mind, I'd like to run a few tests on this to try and replicate it. Perhaps it would work for Diane as well."

"Go for it." Merlin smiled and vanished, seemingly into thin air.

"I'm only this size for now so the poison can work its way out of my system," Ivy explained. "It should only take a day or so. When I'm this big, the amount of poison that would kill me in my smaller form is a mild inconvenience at worst."

"Man, Eris, your mom's one piece of work," Ban commented.

"She had issues when she was younger, but by the time I really started learning magic she calmed down and basically adopted me."

"And I'm guessing that's why Mordred's so messed up?"

"Nope. I have no idea why he's that way. We were raised together and until his whole coup thing happened we were pretty close. Not as close as Ivy and her sister, but pretty close as far as siblings go."

Ivy sighed.

"Listen, I don't want to think about it until this is all over. So can we please not bring it up?"

"No problem," Meliodas replied. "So, Ivy, if you want to, you can stay this size even after it's out of your system. Having another giant around could be useful."

"Thanks." Ivy smiled.

"We should probably get moving at first light," Eris stated. "If we don't, Mercy might find us again and that would be bad for everyone involved."

The group settled down for the night, Ivy and Diane sleeping outside while everyone else went into the tavern. When morning came, they once again set out towards the north. However, they realized they were being followed not too long after… only to be faced with Gilthunder, Howzer, Griamore, Guila, Jericho, Arthur, and another man that none of them recognized.

"Why are you here?" Elizabeth asked.

"Merlin asked me to come along," explained Arthur. "Then I had Lancelot join me."

"And I asked the rest of them," Meliodas added. "I figured we could use as much backup as possible."

"Hey, that's great!" Alexandra agreed, clapping her hands adorably. "The more the merrier!"

"That also means more firepower," Eris agreed, approaching Arthur and extending a hand. "My name is Eris. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"I'm Arthur. And the same to you, Eris."

* * *

Mordred narrowed his eyes as he watched through the orb.

 _Father…_

 _It's nice to see you again._

"What's happening now?" Mercy asked.

"Five more Holy Knights have joined the Riders and the Sins. As well as my father and _Sir Lancelot_." His voice dripped with venom.

"It doesn't matter how many Holy Knights there are. We still have numbers and power over them."

"Not necessarily. You know how powerful all of them are." Mercy giggled.

"They're nothing compared to us. Trust me, Mordred dear. We'll win this war and take the rest of Britannia." Mordred glanced back at the orb, then realized something. Ivy was at her full size.

"Why is Ivy at her full size…?" he mused quietly. "She's been trying to hide it so far…"

"Don't focus on her," Mercy sighed. "Focus on the battle ahead."

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and he shrugged her off.

"Do you know why?"

"One of your mother's poisons. Nicolas and Thomas battled her in the woods yesterday and I know Nicolas had some on him."

" _What?!_ " Anger flashed in his eyes.

"She's fine, so why are you upset?"

"Because she could have _died_!"

"You foolish man…" Mercy shook her head. "There's no room for your emotions here. You have to forget her and remember who stood by your side when you conquered Camelot. The one who helped you come back to this time so you could rule!"

"Mercy, you…"

"What?"

"I'm grateful for your support. But I can't forget Ivy. Even if she hates me because of what you _forced me_ to do."

"All right, then. I need to train the troops."

She walked away and Mordred thought back to before. Back when he'd been a Holy Knight in his father's service and a member of the Seven Virtues. A time where Ivy didn't hate him and her family was still alive.

He wanted those days back.

But he knew it was impossible.

* * *

 **Lancelot. Me no like Lancelot.**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	6. A New Fighting Festival

With Ivy's true size revealed, she decided to remain giant and walk with Diane.

King often sat on the roof, keeping an eye on the two giantesses as they walked alongside the tavern. They talked like they were old friends who'd known each other for years rather than a few weeks. Ivy seemed especially keen to learn about giant culture from Diane, who told her about the fights and their race's connection to the earth below. She even offered to teach Ivy how to do the kinds of things Matrona had once taught her how to do, all those years ago. A small sense of jealousy burned in King's belly, jealousy towards Diane for connecting so well with Ivy. Then again, he shouldn't have been surprised; Diane was just that kind of girl.

When they settled down for the night, Meliodas announced that they'd be opening for the public the next day and that they'd need all their waitresses. And Ban would more than likely need Ivy's help in the kitchen. That meant that both Diane and Ivy needed to shrink down to help out, which Merlin could take care of thanks to the bracelet she'd borrowed from the latter and made an identical one for the former. The two giants slid them onto their wrists in a private area and shrank down to human size before sliding on their smaller clothes.

"I think we're ready to go," Diane told Ivy.

The next day, as they helped out around the bar, Diane kept her ear out for rumors. A small group of men in the corner were harassing Alex, continually asking her for drinks and food and dropping things on the floor for her to pick up. To Diane's shock, Meliodas was there before anybody saw him move.

"Hey, guys," he said to the group in a voice that chilled the Sins and Riders to the bone. "I'd suggest you leave her alone before I have to forcibly eject you from the bar."

"You don't scare us!" slurred one of the men.

 _Right. We're outside Liones now, in a northern kingdom…_

"Yeah, she's cute!" insisted one of the others.

"Well, she's also my little sister, so if you don't stop I'm going to have to defend her with my sword."

All five of the men suddenly looked very terrified indeed, springing from their seats and leaving the money as they ran from the bar. Alex stared at her feet with an apologetic look.

"Come on," Meliodas told her, taking the girl by the hand and leading her to the back rooms.

"I'm sorry," she sighed as he closed the door.

"You don't need to apologize. You're only fifteen and they shouldn't be talking to you like that. Actually, no, they shouldn't be talking to you or any other girl no matter how old the girl is."

"Still…" She gripped her skirt. "I should be able to defend myself. I'm a Holy Knight, and the daughter of one of the greatest my kingdom has ever seen."

"And you've been through more than anyone your age should go through." He hugged her comfortingly and she returned it. Suddenly he felt wetness seeping through his shirt. Alex was crying.

"I miss him. And my mother, and my brother…"

Meliodas said nothing more, but simply let her cry her eyes out until she finished.

"I soaked your shirt… I'm sorry…"

"Quit apologizing. Everyone needs to let it all out every now and then."

"Even you?"

"Even me. I usually beat something up."

Alex laughed, wiping her eyes and smiling brightly.

"There's that smile."

"My mother used to tell me that even in dark times, I should find a reason to smile so I can give courage to people who need it."

"Your mother sounds like a very smart woman."

* * *

"A fighting festival?" Eris inquired.

"Yeah, in Blair Atholl. It's a village just south of where the damn army of Holy Knights made their camp."

"And anyone can enter?"

"Yeah, but I'd suggest you stay out of it," the man replied. "A buncha them are gonna try and I doubt anyone else'll be able to even get past the qualifier."

"Thank you, sir. Anything else?"

"Nah. Thanks, girl."

"No problem."

When the tavern shut down, Eris relayed the message to the Sins, with an idea.

"If we enter, we can find a lot of Mordred and Mercy's men. Trust me—these guys like to prove their strength. And any one of us can match skills with them."

"So… instead of going straight north, we waste our time with this festival?" Griamore scoffed.

"Not waste our time. This one's even bigger than the one that used to be held in Vaizel, from what I've heard. Hundreds enter, which means we have a real shot to incapacitate part of the army if we enter too."

"I like the way you think, young lady, even if you shouldn't be thinking such thoughts," Lancelot stated. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Anybody else object?" asked Meliodas.

Nobody did.

"All right, then. To Blair Atholl!"

A chorus of cheers went up from the group of travelers and Ivy frowned as something tugged in her gut. It was familiar but she couldn't place why. She shook it off, instead choosing to regain her normal size and continue walking the next day with Diane.

"Hey, Ivy?"

"Yeah, King?" She turned to look at the fairy floating by her shoulder.

"Would you mind hanging back and talking with me today?"

"Not at all." Diane waved and kept walking while King and Ivy went behind Mama Hawk. "So what's up?"

"I… I realized we don't know much about you. Can you tell me anything? Maybe… about your sister?"

"Which one? I have two."

"Rose and Dolores, right?" Ivy's eyes widened.

"How did you know…"

"You called out their names while you were under that poison. And your brother, Helbram…" He pressed his lips into a thin line.

"I… it's really painful, actually. Since I watched…"

"Oh. I understand."

"But I will tell you this: Rose was my twin and we were incredibly close."

"That's awesome for you guys."

"It was." Ivy stared down at her feet. "Remembering her and my family gives me the strength to keep going forward with all this."

"That's good. Keep that in mind and I'm sure you'll be fine."

She gave him a smile.

"Thanks, King."

Inside the Boar Hat, Eris was rereading some of her spellbooks to get a couple of ideas for how to best go about battle when they reached the north. She pursed her lips, looking thoughtful and catching Arthur's attention. He quietly approached her.

"Hello," he greeted her. "Eris, right?"

"Right." She nodded. "And you're Arthur."

"Exactly. Mind if I sit with you?"

"Not at all." He sat down beside her and glanced at the pages.

"What's your magical specialty?"

"I tend to go more for defensive magic. Shields, escapes, things like that. It's how I saved Alexandra from Mordred when the kingdom fell and he tried to kill her."

"I'm sure she's grateful."

"I am, too." She smiled brightly.

"So, could you teach me how to do any of it?"

"Not unless you're willing to devote several months to training."

"Aw…"

"But it's fine. I'll be there in the battle and if things start to go south, I'll pull any of the injured out of harm's way."

And by the end of the next day, Blair Atholl was in sight.

The fighting festival was about to begin.

* * *

 **This is what I like to call the father-daughter bonding chapter.**

 **Don't worry; with the exception of Eris, they'll all bond with their other parent next time when the fighting starts.**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	7. Gift of a Father

If Ivy was honest, there wasn't much she had left of her parents.

Their bodies were buried alongside that of her siblings in the future. Her father's Sacred Treasure had returned to the Forest upon his death. Gideon was hers now, shrunken and stowed in her bag but unused due to Ivy not being entirely sure how to wield it. Neither King nor Diane had many possessions they could pass down to their children. But King did have one thing that he was able to give his surviving child. Before he'd gone to try and rescue Diane from Mordred, he'd given his hooded coat with a helmet attached to Ivy.

 _In case I don't make it,_ he'd said.

He hadn't made it, and Ivy had kept that coat with her. She knew why her father held onto the dingy helmet. She'd discovered it shortly after she'd put on the thing for the first time. The spirit contained within had been guiding her and giving her advice ever since she lost her family.

Now, with Blair Atholl in sight, she felt a sense of finality to what was about to happen. She knew that if they succeeded, she and the other Riders that were there would cease to exist. Their timeline would be erased. It got her to wonder if they shouldn't tell the Sins the truth about their identities, before they disappeared forever. Ivy needed advice and there was no-one who could help her better than her uncle Helbram.

"I'm going for a walk," she told the others. "I need some air."

"I can go with you," Diane offered.

"No, it's fine." Ivy was at her smaller size now. "I need to be alone for right now."

Ivy waved as she headed off into the forest. Oliver chuckled.

"She means it, too. Following her is a bad idea. I learned that when we were kids."

That was the last Ivy heard of her friends before she walked out of earshot and deeper into the trees. Slung over her shoulder was her satchel, a satchel that contained a shrunken Gideon and her father's coat. Within a few more minutes of walking, she reached a lonely clearing and sat down under a tree. She then pulled out the coat and put it on, pulling the hood up and the helmet over her head.

"Uncle Helbram? I need help."

The ghostly figure of a fairy who'd died long before she was born appeared.

 _"Yeah, you do. Didn't that Merlin tell you and your buddies not to go messing with time spells?"_

"I know, but… but we had to. Otherwise, there was…"

 _"Hey, I'm just messing with you. This was the best move you could've made."_ He sat down cross-legged across from her. _"So you made it to the past. And you're going to stop Mordred. What's the problem?"_

"Should we tell the Sins the truth?"

 _"About how you're their kids from the future? Dunno. Not up to me."_

"What do you think?"

 _"Honestly? I think you should. You're going to stop existing once you fix the future and maybe telling the Sins will make them more aware and cautious of Mordred and Mercy. That was what did Arthur in."_

"You're right, as usual."

 _"I'm the wise uncle Helbram. Of course I'm right."_

"Ha." She smiled faintly.

 _"Ivy, do you want to know the biggest reason I've been giving you advice?"_

"Why?"

 _"I'm going to guess your father never told you our story. How he killed me three times and it was only on the third time that it stuck."_

"Oh…"

 _"You're younger than he was when he had to make the choice to hurt someone he cared about. Much younger. And you're being faced with that choice with Mordred. I don't want to see the daughter of my best friend—my niece—make the wrong decision because of emotional leftovers."_

"B-but…"

 _"Listen. You hate Mordred because of what he did to your family. But you've also been in love with him for a long time. Those two views are conflicting in your mind and you can't let them blind you to the truth of what you need to do."_

"Kill Mercy."

 _"Yes. I have to say that she has to go. Actually, by telling the Sins you might be able to avoid all this in the first place. If Gowther never adopts Mercy, she never starts getting into Mordred's head. And if she doesn't get into his head…"_

"Then the war won't happen."

 _"See, I kept telling Harlequin you got Diane's brain but no, he says you got your looks from her, too."_

"Thank you."

 _"Now, now, I can tell that's not the only thing bothering you. What happened?"_

"Well…"

 _She was sitting on top of a hill while she waited for the others to wake up and get moving. Her mind drifted to what the future would hold once they defeated Mordred and Mercy. Would she be the same person in the new timeline? Or would she still be the same Ivy?_

 _"I have to say, it's nice to see you at your normal size."_

 _Ivy glanced down to see Mordred standing next to her._

 _"What do you want? I'm still going north, as you can see."_

 _"Yeah. And we're going into battle within a few days."_

 _"So why are you here if you know all that?" He bit his lip._

 _"Because I'm going to die and I don't want to go with any regrets."_

 _"That ship has sailed."_

 _"I mean in regards to you, Ivy. No doubt you know that I've… I've carried a torch for you for some time."_

 _"Eris and Oliver only mention it every other time we bring you up."_

 _"My sister never was one for keeping my secrets. Anyway, I wanted to tell you that I won't fight against you. That's why I'm going to die—I want all this to stop. I never should've let Mercy into my head. Hopefully she'll stop all this with me gone."_

 _"Mordred…" Ivy felt warmth in her heart._

 _"Ivy, I'm going to say this now because I don't know if I'll ever get another opportunity. I love you, and I hope that you and the other Riders succeed in stopping us."_

 _"Wait…"_

 _"I saved something." He dug into his pocket. "When Mercy burned down the forest, I grabbed this from the ruins. I wanted to give it to you."_

 _He deposited it in her hand—a seed from the Great Tree wrapped in a flower._

 _"Remember me, okay?"_

 _"Mordred… I… I do feel the same way… but…"_

 _"Just do your best. And don't let your feelings for me get in the way."_

 _He vanished and Ivy stared at the seed in her hand. Before anything else could happen, she put the seed in her pocket. And when she shrunk back down she put it into her bag for safekeeping._

 _"Oh. I get it. Jeez…"_

"I don't think I can kill him, Uncle Helbram. Not…"

 _"No, I get it. But… just ask his sister to do it. He said not to let your feelings get in the way, didn't he?"_

"Yes, but…"

 _"Relax."_ Helbram looked pensive for a moment, then sighed. _"One more thing before we separate. I was looking in on Mordred's camp, and even though nobody can really tell over there… there are a few fairies hiding among his ranks. Quite a few, in fact, including Wannabe Mom."_

"She's here?!"

 _"I'm pretty sure she followed you. She's in disguise, though, so don't be freaked when she shows up. "_

"I'll try."

Ivy sighed and took off the helmet.

 _Lady Gerheade…_

* * *

 _"A Fairy King having heirs is unusual, Harlequin."_

 _Ivy peered around a tree at Gerheade, who was talking to her father._

 _"I mean, you are the first Fairy King to have heirs, after all."_

 _"And are you saying they're unworthy of taking my place?"_

 _"No. But you are bound to pass before any of your daughters are able to take your place as protector of this forest. They will need some kind of guidance."_

 _"Then you'll do what you did for Dahlia and me—advise them. Protect them."_

 _"M-me…?"_

 _"If Diane and I pass before they're fully grown, they're going to need someone around to take care of them. Are you willing to take on that task?"_

 _"Raise your daughters…"_

 _"Parenting isn't easy. I've learned that. But you can do what a parent is meant to do—advise and protect."_

 _"I am willing to take this on, Harlequin."_

* * *

 _Gerheade was the first to greet her upon her return to the burnt-down ruins._

 _"Princess Ivy!" Ivy stumbled in her human form, landing in the fairy's arms. "Where is King Harlequin? And your mother? And…"_

 _"Gone. They're all gone…" Ivy wasn't even crying. The shock was too much for her. Gerheade said nothing but comforted the grieving young giantess. Eventually, Ivy fell asleep and Gerheade brought her to a small hideout she'd made where Elaine's body had once rested._

 _It had been Gerheade who nursed Ivy through grief, hardly leaving her side. The fairy's loyalty to her ruler was absolute, and Ivy was the queen of the Fairy King's Forest now. There was nowhere else Gerheade needed to be other than by Ivy's side. Even when the royal family of the forest was returned, and with them came the Riders, Gerheade refused to let them in to see Ivy until Ivy was fit enough for visitors. And then Gerheade had stayed in the room, not leaving Ivy alone for a moment._

 _For a fairy who'd never been interested in motherhood, Gerheade fit the role well._

* * *

 _"Eris has a plan to fix everything, Gerheade."_

 _"What kind of plan?"_

 _"She says we can go back before any of this happened, before Mordred took over, and prevent it from happening at all."_

 _"Merlin's time spells…" Gerheade looked skeptical. "I do not think this is a good plan, My Queen."_

 _"What other option do we have? I'm not ready to be a queen."_

 _Gerheade sighed._

 _"If you think this will solve the problem, then it is worth a try. I will remain here."_

 _Ivy nodded and stood up, her bag slung over her shoulder with her father's coat and her mother's Sacred Treasure inside. Her eyes were turned towards Camelot. The fairy beside her felt a slight pain in her chest. Then Ivy threw her arms around Gerheade, making the fairy gasp._

 _"W-what…?"_

 _"Thank you, Lady Gerheade. I wouldn't have made it if you hadn't taken care of me."_

 _Gerheade felt her eye sting with tears as she returned the hug._

 _"You're welcome, My… Ivy."_

Now Ivy prepared to go into Blair Atholl and participate in the fighting festival.

Little did she know it wouldn't actually happen.

Mordred's entire force was there and they attacked swiftly and without mercy. Ivy and Diane went back to their full size to join the battle and a building collapsed on top of Alexandra.

And that was just the beginning of the end of their trip to the past.

* * *

 **NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE UP ON FRIDAY! STAY TUNED!**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	8. Demon's Daughter

She found it. A way out.

Alexandra pushed her way out of the rubble and realized the land around her was on fire. Her friends, the Sins, everyone was fighting. She'd been trapped under the wreckage of a building and she could vaguely hear Elizabeth and Arthur call her name as she began to pull herself out. Suddenly her injuries were healing, due to Elizabeth's magic no doubt, and Arthur helped her to her feet.

"We need to get you out of here," he told her.

"Wait, what about the others?"

"Oliver told us your magic is too unstable," Elizabeth stated. "We're going to get you off the battlefield."

An explosion rocked the ground near them, but Eris had put up a shield. They weren't hit by any of the debris. Alexandra's eyes focused and she could see the fight that was raging. Ivy and Diane were both at full size and battling a group of demon-blood knights that were on the verge of overtaking mother and daughter while a second conglomeration was supporting them on Ivy's side. Oliver was in close-quarters combat with Nicolas. Eris and Merlin were providing support from the sidelines. Ban and Meliodas were both surrounded. King was supporting Diane and Ivy from the air. Gowther was lying on the ground, body bloody and his head removed (but she knew it was only a matter of time before he just picked it up and put it back on). Escanor was fighting like mad alongside Lancelot, Gilthunder, Jericho, Guila, Griamore, and Howzer.

"Let's go!" Arthur picked up Alexandra and she struggled against him as he and Elizabeth began to run away from the battle.

"No! I need to—"

"They'd never forgive us if something happened to you! You'll be in their way out there!"

 _She can sword-fight, but other than that she's always in the way._

Hendrickson's words came back to her.

 _Meliodas, you can't train her any better?_

 _Demonic power is difficult to get a handle on and she's still really young. I need more time to train her._

 _Until then, she'll just be in their way._

"Please, put me down!"

"We can't—"

Something hit the ground near them. It was Meliodas, already looking bloody from his fight. Without missing a beat, he rose to his feet and returned to the battlefield. Alexandra turned her eyes to the action just in time to see Nicolas cut Oliver across the abdomen. Blood flew in the air with Oliver's scream.

 _"Mom? Dad?"_

 _Alexandra ran into the Camelot throne room, her long golden hair flying behind her as she stopped in horror._

 _Lying on the now bloodstained stone floor was her mother, lifeless with a cut across her chest. Her little brother Tristan—only six years old—was lying across Elizabeth's body. Her father was swaying as he faced an opponent—barely able to stand. There was so much anger in his eyes, a darkness Alexandra had never seen. For a moment, he raised his sword but another flashed and cut across him seven times. One for each of his seven hearts. She covered her mouth in horror, too afraid to even scream as she shook. Meliodas fell to the floor, reaching for Elizabeth's hand in his final moments right before his eyes met his daughter's._

 _"Run," he mouthed._

 _She obeyed, but not before catching sight of the man who'd murdered her parents._

 _Nicolas._

 _The man who'd protected her from childhood. The one who'd been her sparring partner while she learned to use the twin blades that now served as her primary weapons. Someone who she considered_ _ **family**_ _._

 _He had just killed her mother and father._

 _ **And she would never forgive him.**_

She'd forgotten. She'd allowed herself to forget, for the good memories to outweigh the bad and block them out. It was because she didn't want to believe it. Nicolas had killed her family. Her mother, who'd been full of light and goodness. Her brother, who'd been so young and still had so much to see in life. And her father, who'd fought until his last breath to avenge his fallen family. All of them gone because of _**him**_.

Suddenly, Arthur was knocked off his feet by one of Mordred's soldiers, who looked at the king with a sickening, twisted smile as he raised his blade. Elizabeth was cornered by another knight. Alexandra was on her hands and knees, having tumbled from Arthur's arms when he was hit.

 _ **KILL.**_

That voice. She'd heard it before, a hissing, terrible whisper that beckoned her to do terrible things.

 _ **DESTROY.**_

Anger was bubbling below the surface. She could feel it and for once she didn't suppress it. No, she _wanted_ to be angry. She _deserved_ to be angry. She was about to lose everything she cared about because she was in the way? Well, not this time. This time, she wasn't going to be in the way.

 _Come to me._

Inky markings covered her body as her eyes darkened and a black crest appeared on her forehead.

 _Protect them!_

Alexandra moved faster than she'd ever thought possible, knocking the knight attacking Arthur into the one over Elizabeth. Before they could get up, she stole their swords and used them to slice their owners in half. She spun elegantly, using the more dancer-like style she'd developed as a swordswoman. Arthur and Elizabeth looked at her in shock and horror but she had more pressing matters as her demon eyes rested on Nicolas raising his sword above Oliver.

 _He hurt him. Kill._

Next thing she knew she was standing over Nicolas, twin swords raised and ready to cut him into pieces. There was complete terror in his eyes.

 _ **"Die."**_

His blood splattered across the ground as she moved on to fighting dozens of Mordred's men. Vaguely she registered screaming from her friends for her to stop, to come back, but it was to no avail. She moved cleanly through the air as the black markings formed wings for her to use. The blood brought her no emotion as she continued to slice her way through the crowds of soldiers.

* * *

Meliodas watched Alexandra in a mix of awe, horror, and confusion.

 _It's like… like…_

He could remember a time not too long ago where he'd been just like she was now. Cold, emotionless, driven only by the instinct to protect. Not to mention the power coming off her was so similar to his own, mingled with another that was familiar but not demonic. She was unstoppable, he knew, unless somebody got to her before her transformation was complete. And as much as he wanted this fight to be over, for everyone to be safe, Alexandra couldn't keep doing what she was doing. He had to take her out.

"ALEX!" he yelled. She stopped in midair and stared at him, tilting her head slightly.

 _That face…_

 _ **"They all must die for what they've done,"**_ Alex said, her voice reverberating through the battlefield. Several of Mordred's Holy Knights had fled upon seeing the carnage.

That gave them the edge they needed. Alex flew towards them, swords held aloft… and Meliodas rose up and threw her into the ground.

"What the—" Ban yelped.

Alexandra stood up, seemingly unharmed.

"Wait, what the hell…?"

"She needs to snap out of it!" called Meliodas. "Everyone, come on!"

By now, the rest of Mordred's army had fled and Alex was the only one still pursuing. But now her demon-magic-addled mind saw Meliodas as an enemy, which was exactly what he'd wanted. He could stand up to her might. Nobody else could.

Ban, on the other hand, got a look at Alexandra's face.

 _Wait, how… no…_

 _It's like with Captain!_

"Alexandra will be defeated by the Captain without a problem," Gowther stated, standing up after putting his head back on. "After all, despite her demonic power she is still young and her abilities have yet to mature."

"We know that much," sighed Oliver, limping over. His wounds were slowly healing as he walked, Ban noted.

 _Huh. Weird._

"Alex had a problem controlling them back home, too."

"How much demon's blood did she drink?"

"None," Eris replied. Arthur and Elizabeth were with her.

"So, wait a sec. You're telling me she's a demon?!"

"No."

"Then what the hell are you saying—"

Somehow Alex broke away from Meliodas. Her power was starting to overwhelm her now, to the point where her allies didn't even appear as allies; they were more enemies for her to defeat. She flew straight for Ivy, who gasped and ducked before Alexandra hit her. As a result, the blonde flew back for a second strike only to be knocked off-course by Meliodas. Alexandra fought back against him, her fighting style becoming more erratic and less predictable as she dueled against Meliodas, single blade against two.

"Dammit!" Oliver yelled. "Alex, snap out of it!"

"Would your father approve of this?!" Ivy added.

On that note, Alex seemingly vanished and reappeared right above Ivy, about to drive her blades into the giant girl's head. Someone else, however, threw her off again. This time, though, it wasn't Meliodas. It was a fairy woman that King and Ban recognized all too well.

 _Gerheade..?_

King was confused. Why was she here?

"I don't care if you are a princess," Gerheade told Alexandra. "You will not attack her, not while I am here!"

"Gerheade…" King whispered.

 _ **"Flighty bitch,"**_ Alexandra hissed in her demonic tone.

"We will protect her!" another fairy called out, appearing behind Gerheade. King realized he didn't recognize several of those with her.

"Yeah! Protect Ivy!" a third sang.

"Wait!" Ivy begged. "No, don't—"

Gerheade placed a gentle hand on Ivy's forehead, which was scraped from where Holy Knights had been chucking rocks.

"I was asked to protect you and I failed. Let me make up for that now, my queen."

 _"QUEEN?!"_ Ban and King yelled in unison.

The fairies supported Meliodas in the air and so did everyone else. Ivy and Diane used their giant abilities to give an edge in terms of ammunition. Everyone tried their best to bring Alexandra down but it all failed. Their magical power was being sapped and exhausted…

"Let me try something," Elizabeth implored them, walking onto the battlefield.

"ELIZABETH, NO!" There was desperation in Meliodas's voice.

"Alexandra, you come down here this instant!" Elizabeth snapped forcefully, almost like a mother. Alexandra paused, shock coming over her face as her eyes turned from their inky color to the bright blue her companions were used to. The dark markings disappeared as she seemingly lost her ability to fly and began to fall through the air. Before anybody else could move, Oliver leapt to catch her and succeeded, landing hard on the stone ground.

"Gotcha," he chuckled. "This is why we don't let you go nuts."

"S-sorry… I…"

"Lost it. Happens to the best of us."

Everyone gathered around as Oliver set Alexandra upright. Gerheade smiled, hovering around Ivy's shoulder, and King turned to her.

"What are you doing here, Gerheade?"

"That is not my story to tell." Her eye landed on the Four Riders. "That would be theirs."

Ivy gulped; they had a lot of explaining to do.

* * *

 **DUN DUN DUN**

 **Reveal about to happen. And Lady Gerheade makes an appearance.**

 **Gonna be honest—wasn't planning to include her until I remembered her loyalty to the Fairy King. With King gone and Ivy the only remaining heir, you can bet there's no way in** _ **hell**_ **that she'd let her travel back without Gerheade going along to protect her within Mordred's ranks.**

 **As for why I didn't do the fighting festival… well, honestly, I'm shit at writing actions scenes. Even this chapter was a stretch for me, so I decided not to do it at all. Sorry if you wanted to see it.**

 **Also, if you haven't read it yet, check out "Conquest of the Past" by essaysforbreakfast. It was inspired by this story and I think it's a better version. Give it some love!**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	9. Truth

There was tapping as the Four Riders were faced by their companions.

"What the hell happened out there?" Ban asked. "Because I'm starting to think you don't come from a northern kingdom."

"And you'd be right," Eris sighed. "We don't."

"We're actually… we're from twenty years in the future," Alexandra whispered softly.

"Yeah, I don't believe that," Howzer snorted. "You got proof?"

"Dammit," hissed Oliver. "I guess it is hard to believe… but I got nothing."

"Same here," Alexandra sighed and Eris nodded.

"I have something," Ivy stated. She reached into her bag and pulled out a helmet attached to a coat, one that was identical to King's except worn by age. "My father… he gave me this before…"

 _"Ivy, I have to go. Your mother's in danger."_

 _"B-but—"_

 _"Stay here. I can't lose you, too."_

"Wait, then that means…" Meliodas gasped, then a suggestive grin lit up his face. "You're King and Diane's daughter!"

King passed out from shock and Diane blinked in confusion.

"Yeah. Oldest daughter. I had two sisters and a brother."

"So are the rest of you related to us, too?" Ban inquired.

"I'm your kid," Oliver snorted. "And spoiler: you're gonna bring Mom back. I wasn't kidding when I said Ives was my cousin."

"Princess of Camelot," Eris spoke up, raising her hand. Arthur's eyes lit up and he immediately threw his arms around his daughter.

"I knew I felt a connection with you!" he cheered.

"Can you get off me?!"

(Eris wasn't big on physical affection, mostly due to her mother being an entitled bitch who only showed affection when she wanted something from Arthur.)

"Then…" Elizabeth realized who Alexandra must've been and her face turned bright red. Meliodas seemed to have come to the same conclusion and his eyes widened.

"Holy crap, Alex is my daughter."

" _Now_ you not being perverted towards her makes sense!" Hawk chuckled.

"Her powers, too," agreed Ban.

"How much of what you told us was true?" asked Diane, fanning King's face to try and wake him up.

"Most of it, sadly," Eris admitted, finally managing to get away from Arthur so she could breathe. "Mordred is my half-brother. He led a coup that led to our families being killed. And I'm positive that Gowther has known this entire time."

"You would be correct," Gowther replied. "I felt it was prudent to keep it a secret for a while."

"Wait, time travel is impossible," Howzer stated, narrowing his eyes. "How did you four do it?"

"Well, my grandmother—Merlin, no offense—"

"None taken. I figured Arthur's children would call me as much."

"—she developed the spells over the course of her life. She never perfected them, but Mercy convinced Mordred to use one in order to vanquish a kingdom worth conquering. The only reason we even used it is to stop him."

"You okay, King?" Ivy asked, waving her hand in front of her father's face.

"Y-yeah…" He sat up and swayed slightly.

"Start from the beginning," urged Merlin.

"It started with the fact that Mordred… isn't legitimate," Eris sighed. "His mother wasn't Arthur's wife."

"You mean your mother," corrected Lancelot.

"I don't consider her my mother, but yes. The woman who carried me inside her for nine months was not Mordred's mother. His was Morgan le Fay."

"MORGAN!?" yelped Arthur.

"Yeah. Strange, I know. But even though Mordred is older than I am, he was passed over by the Round Table as Arthur's heir purely because his mother wasn't Guinevere. Or, at least, that's what Lancelot stated when it was brought up."

Her eyes were narrowed at the lead Knight of the Round Table, who gulped nervously.

"He wasn't destroyed by it, I thought, but then… when he turned eighteen, Mordred killed our father and took over the kingdom. I don't know exactly what happened. I just came into the throne room after hearing a scream and… that was it."

She didn't need to finish; the Sins understood.

"Ban is the only one left alive in the future," continued Alexandra, sighing with slight tears forming in her eyes. "And he left us behind for some reason I'll never understand."

Diane snapped her head towards Ban, looking ready to pound him into the ground for abandoning the kids but they weren't done with their story.

"We all ended up in Camelot because we wanted to stop Mordred," Oliver explained. "And… Alex lost her parents and little brother, then I lost my mom, and then Ivy lost both her parents and all three of her siblings."

Diane hugged Ivy, pulling King into the embrace as she comforted their future daughter.

"A few months after that, we figured out Mordred and Mercy had gone to the past and we followed them in order to stop them."

"And I followed Queen Ivy in order to ensure her safety," Gerheade added. "I know she can fight but it is my duty to protect her in her parents' stead."

It was all out there now—the truth of why they were there.

"So wait, you said Mercy killed her own father?" Jericho spoke up, confused. "So who was her father?"

" _Adoptive_ father," Gowther replied, straightening his glasses. "Based upon Ivy's memories, I would say that I am Mercy's adoptive father."

"Yeah," Ivy snorted. "Thanks a lot."

"I simply will not adopt her, then. That should solve the problem."

The group then delved into discussions of the future.

* * *

King sighed as he watched Ivy. He couldn't believe he hadn't figured it out sooner. She looked like a perfect mix of him and Diane, and if what she'd told him of her siblings was to be believed, they followed much the same. It made him sick to know that he'd lost his entire family so quickly, leaving only his eldest still alive. But he was grateful to Gerheade for taking care of Ivy while she was grieving. Not to mention that now her siblings having the names 'Helbram' and 'Dolores' made much more sense.

"Well, guess this settles it," Howzer sighed, taking care not to let anyone else hear him other than King. "You and Diane are happy and have four kids, two of them being Holy Knight badasses."

Oh, yeah, there was also that. Proof that Diane had chosen him over Howzer.

"Hey, Ives, did King still go tongue-tied around Diane or did he grow out of it?" Meliodas asked.

"Yeah, pretty much. He only really got tongue-tied around Mom when she would compliment him on something." Ban started laughing.

"How did I freakin' know?" Ivy rolled her eyes in response, sipping a bit of water that Diane had insisted she drink instead of ale.

"He's considered the Great Fairy King, actually. Around the time Rose and I were born, he traveled to the Green Island and met with Queen Maebh."

"Are you _serious_?" King yelped.

"Who the hell is that?" Ban inquired.

"She's one of the most powerful fairies in existence. While I rule the Fairy King's Forest, she rules the Green Island. It's the only place in the world entirely inhabited by fairies."

"Wait, what?" Meliodas spoke up.

"There isn't any other race, and it's entirely because the fairies there aren't the same as the ones in Britannia. They're a warrior race and Queen Maebh is the strongest. So… I met with her?"

"You and Mom lived there for a year, I think. That's where Rose and I were born. In fact, my given name isn't even technically Ivy; it's their word for it. _Eidhneán._ "

"That's so pretty!" Elizabeth gasped.

"Aunt Maebh's the only one who really calls me that. Everyone else just calls me Ivy… unless I'm in trouble. Then comes the real name."

"So, King made peace with a warrior race of fairies, I brought Elaine back from the dead, Arthur had kids from two different moms, and Gowther's kid is evil. Good to know," Ban summarized.

"Pretty much," Eris agreed. "Even though I'd _hardly_ say Guinevere is my real mom. Aunt Morgan did more to raise me than she ever did."

"Forgot about that part," mumbled Arthur.

King's stomach churned a little. The venom with which Eris always spoke of her mother had rubbed him the wrong way for a while and he needed to find out exactly what had happened. He tugged at Ivy's arm, motioning for her to come outside with him alone. She obeyed, setting down her glass of water and following him away from the tavern so they wouldn't be overheard.

"What is it, Dad?" she asked.

"Still gotta get used to that, I guess. Anyway, what exactly happened between Eris and Guinevere?"

"Let's get this straight. Eris did nothing except be born. It's Guinevere who's the problem." She took a deep breath. "She's been sleeping with Lancelot. Even in this time, we know it's going on."

"You're kidding…"

"No, I'm not. If it weren't for her hair and eyes, we wouldn't even be sure that Eris was Arthur's daughter."

"That's awful."

"It gets worse. Guinevere was never a good mother to Eris, but she stopped caring more and more as Eris got older. She treated her more like a nuisance than a child by the time Eris was six. I remember visiting Camelot when I was younger and Guinevere wasn't at dinner. According to Arthur, she was taking a trip to visit her family. Eris was still there, though… and I think that was about the time that Lady Morgan functionally adopted her."

"So, why didn't Guinevere leave if she didn't care about Arthur?"

"Really, in my opinion, she wanted the title of queen without any of the responsibilities that came with it like raising the heir and being loyal to the king. She was loyal to Lancelot first, Camelot second."

"Should we tell Arthur?"

"Not for a while. We need Eris to be born, at least; telling him will prevent that."

"Wait, is that why Lancelot didn't want Mordred as heir—not just because he wasn't the son of the queen but because he wasn't the son of Guinevere?"

"Exactly." She narrowed her eyes. "Not that _he_ was squeaky-clean, either. He has a son named Galahad who's the most boring Holy Knight I've ever seen in my life."

"Good to know about that." He sighed. "Ivy, I'm not the same person you know in the future. But I'm glad to know I get to have a daughter like you."

She smiled.

 _Let's protect the future so you and the others can be born._

* * *

 **Yeah, lackluster chapter. Next time, though, we'll see a little more fighting; albeit not against Mordred.**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


	10. The King's Lament

_Steel struck against steel, the sound resonating through the courtyard._

 _One of the combatants fell, panting hard before his opponent helped him back to his feet, a sweet smile gracing her young face._

 _"Thanks, Alex."_

 _"No problem. You're getting good at this."_

 _"I don't think I'll ever be able to beat you, though."_

 _"To be fair, Alex is the daughter of both a demon and a goddess," stated Eris, looking up from her spellbook. "Not to mention her father's swordsmanship is unmatched."_

 _"But I should be able to last more than a few minutes against her. How can I be a true knight of Camelot if I can't even face another kingdom's heir?"_

 _"You're powerful enough, dear brother. Trust me: standing against Alex for even a few minutes is a challenge."_

 _Mordred turned his attention back to Alexandra._

 _"Another round, Your Highness?"_

 _"Only if you're up for it, Sir Mordred."_

 _They went for another round, Mordred using his skills to evade and match Alex a little longer before she once again knocked his blade from his hand and he fell to the ground. Alex once again helped him to his feet and sheathed her blade, signaling she was done for the day._

 _"You're looking better every day," said a new voice._

 _"Papa!" she gasped, running over to a man who wasn't much taller than she was._

 _Meliodas smirked as he hugged his daughter._

 _"At this rate, you're going to surpass me."_

 _"I… I don't think I…"_

 _"C'mon. You're already at Holy Knight level and you're only twelve. By the time you're an adult you'll be so strong that I bet you'll lay me out flat when we spar."_

 _Mordred sighed at Alex's panicked expression._

 _"He's right, you know," the dark-haired young man stated. "You're definitely more powerful than I am, at any rate."_

 _"We'll be heading back to Liones tomorrow," Meliodas informed Alex. "Your mother wants you to get ready for the trip."_

 _"Okay, then."_

 _She ran into the castle and Mordred sighed._

 _"Listen, Mordred." Meliodas placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're as strong as you can be at this age. You're fifteen. Lighten up a bit."_

 _"But…"_

 _"I hardly ever see you smile. How's anybody gonna take you seriously as a Holy Knight if you don't have a sense of humor?"_

 _"The universe does. Camelot's next ruler is a sorceress."_

 _"Hey, to be fair, you're illegitimate."_

 _"Yeah, true. Not allowed to inherit…"_

 _I'm the eldest. I should be the one who's next in line…_

 _But no. Because Eris is the daughter of Father and Queen Guinevere, she gets to inherit._

 _"I'd rather be illegitimate than the daughter of my mother," Eris commented, annoyed. "Hate her."_

 _"We all do. But we have to deal with her and Lancelot."_

 _"Hmph."_

 _Mordred headed into the castle and walked down to his mother's chambers. There, she was busily working on some kind of bracelet alongside Merlin. He let out a dramatic sigh and flopped onto the small cot in the corner. Morgan whirled around to face her son._

 _"What happened now?"_

 _"I'm a failure as a knight. I can't even stand against Princess Alexandra."_

 _"Considering her parentage, I'm not surprised," Merlin spoke up, hands on her hips. "Your father might be King Arthur, but he's not as powerful as Meliodas or Elizabeth."_

 _"I know… I just wish I could do something besides being known as Arthur's greatest mistake…"_

 _"He doesn't see you that way," Morgan assured him, resting a hand on his head._

 _"He doesn't?"_

 _"No. He loves you every bit as much as Eris. Believe me."_

 _Mordred felt a bit better, but somewhere in the back of his mind, jealousy towards his sister raged. It was deep down and dangerous._

 _But it was only a tiny bit._

* * *

Mordred opened his eyes as the memory faded. Not for the first time, guilt flooded his mind. He'd killed his father. He'd betrayed his kingdom and his family. He'd shattered so many lives and why? So he could be king? It didn't seem like it had been worth it at all. There was no kingdom for him to rule. His 'subjects' were either mindless followers or simply modified by demons' blood. Even now they were on their way to destroy the Sins and the Four Riders.

"Mordred!"

Thomas was running up. Behind him were troops who had gone to Blair Atholl for battle, at least what was left of them. The young king leapt to his feet in shock; how had so many been left behind?

"What happened?"

"The battle was going in our favor, sir," Thomas replied, kneeling despite an injury. "Then… Princess Alexandra entered the fray. I'd heard stories of her power, but I didn't think she could…"

" _Alex_ did this?"

"Yes, sire. There was no mistaking it. When we were fleeing, Sir Meliodas was attempting to quell her."

 _He's probably the only one who could…_

"What do you want us to do?"

"Heal yourselves. I will go to the battlefield and see the damage for myself."

"Yes, sire."

Thomas nodded and Mordred took a deep breath, focusing his magic and transporting himself to the battlefield.

What he saw shocked him to his core.

Bodies littered the ground, a mixture of wounded and dead soldiers. Some were barely alive. The worst injured and many of the dead had been sliced by a sword, a technique Mordred recognized as Alexandra's handiwork. Lying on the ground, still alive but just barely, was Nicolas. He was chuckling to himself. Mordred summoned one of his recovery spells to heal him quickly and Nicolas sat up with a cough, still laughing.

"Nicolas, what happened?"

"The princess happened." He smiled. "It was just like Lady Mercy told me—Alex is not a human. She's a demon. And demons must be destroyed."

"Help me save who we can."

Nicolas nodded. Mordred frowned; he knew that the deaths of Elizabeth, Meliodas, and Tristan had been by Nicolas's hand. It made him sick to his stomach to think of what all of the Riders must've gone through because of him. He had _never_ wanted any of this. All he had wanted was to be given a fair chance despite being a bastard son.

There was a crunch beneath his foot and he looked to see a fairy's wing beneath it. Dead fairies were scattered about, fairies he recognized as being from his time and not the present. How had they…?

Ivy.

Ivy was their queen. Ivy was the only leader they had left and there was no way they would've… he felt like he was going to vomit.

 _This is all my fault. I don't care about being king anymore._

His eyes went to where several of his soldiers were reviving each other.

 _I can't leave. If I do, Mercy will have complete control and Britannia won't survive._

Mercy. No, this was all _her_ fault. She'd been so desperate for his attention that she'd been willing to forsake the lives of so many others. The Sins, their families, the subjects of Camelot and Liones—none of it mattered to her. All that mattered to her was that she had his attention and his heart. Well, she didn't have the latter. That belonged to Ivy, it always had and she knew it. All he could do now was hope that she didn't realize what he was up to.

It was time to give up the crown for good.

* * *

 **I LIVED, BITCHES**

 **Sorry I've been gone for a while. Blame The Dragon Prince and Rising of the Shield Hero for dragging me away. I'm glad to be back, though.**

 **ALSO IF YOU HAVEN'T READ 'CONQUEST OF THE PAST' GO DO IT NOW I LOVE IT SO MUCH**

 **So long and thanks for all the fish!**


End file.
